Few fabrics have the crisp look and fresh attitude of chintz. Which is funny, considering that barely a century ago this printed cotton was considered second-rate and suitable only for boudoirs, nurseries, and maids' rooms. American interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe brought chintz into fashion in the early 1900s, hailing its decorative qualities, as well as its inexpensive cost, and it quickly became a staple of traditional decorating, whether your taste was formal French or English country.

Though the price point of chintz is a bit higher now than in de Wolfe's day, its user-friendly charm hasn't diminished one iota. All it takes is some creativity to bring the fabric out of the shadows and back into style.

• Hang voluminous chintz curtains on living room windows, paint the floor a pale, glossy shade of jade-green, and upholster all the furniture in green-and-white stripes.

• Drape a round dining table with a floor-grazing chintz tablecloth trimmed with a deep ruffle.

• Raise eyebrows by covering a modern icon such as Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona daybed in chintz.